6

The day seemed a bit cloudy and gloomy, and it reflected Kageyama's mood. Worry and emotions had flooded him, and he wasn't quite sure what to do at the moment. Oikawa had walked away coolly (or so he tried), leaving him to just make his way home. He then noticed a shadow moving away slowly

"Iwaizumi-san?"

"Gah! How'd you see me?"

"Is it you? Who Oikawa was talking about."

"Er, I don't know what he said. I wasn't... listening. I mean-"

"I know you were." Iwaizumi paused for a moment, thinking.

"Kageyama, when were you this cool?"

"Cool!?" He had always though that Iwaizumi was one of the coolest people he knew. He was always the best at everything, even better than Oikawa.

"You're so chill and mature. Since when were you like this?" Iwaizumi said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"I... I don't k-know?" Kageyama stuttered, realizing he was blushing. He then felt a drop of water on his hand. And then another one. Quickly enough it was pouring.

"Oh gosh, the weather report didn't say it would rain." The older said as he groaned. Kageyama breathed in and out. It wouldn't happen... no... not like this. He closed his eyes trying to ignore that his clothes were completely wet. He needed to move but when he opened his eyes... he saw it. An umbrella.

"No! Dad!" Kageyama exlaimed in fear and he was waving his hands around weirdly, as if he was going insane.

"Kageyama, are you okay?"

"N-no... I my dad... my dad..." In addition to the rain on his face, his tears started steaming down Kageyama's face.

"Kageyama!?" Iwaizumi exclaimed. The younger boy had started to collapse and it seemed as if he was having a mental breakdown.

"Please help my dad, someone help me... he's been hurt." The umbrellas... the different colours as they seemed to surround him. None of them were helping him, or his dad. The scenes replayed in his head, they car splashing water on him as it drove away.

"It's okay, Kageyama. It's going to be okay. You're dad is okay. I'm here for you." Iwaizumi kneeled down and pulled Kageyama into a hug. He let him cry into his shoulder. He held him closely and firmly making sure he knew that he was here for him.

"Please... make sure... my dad is okay."

"Okay. I will. Don't worry. Let's get some shelter okay? You're going to get sick if you stay out here."

"O-okay." The older boy guided the younger into the nearest place he knew- his house. Two pairs of eyes were watching them as they walked away, both felt worry and... envy. Oikawa had found once again a reason to be jealous and dislike the younger setter. He had tried so hard, he loved Iwaizumi with all of his heart, and here he was just watching Kageyama being taken care of by him. Kageyama was obviously having a traumatic moment, and that also made Oikawa feel guilty of his feelings.

Hinata was looking outside his window staring at the rain droplets as he saw Kageyama collapse and it seemed as if he was hurt or something extremely bad had happened to him... and he couldn't see clearly but... he was crying. Hinata had never seen the strong setter cry, and lately Kageyama had done a lot of things he hadn't expected. But then another person had kneeled down and... hugged and comforted Kageyama. Hinata's eyes widened. Who could it be? Kageyama wasn't a very popular person and didn't have many friends... so who was he? As the figure pulled Kageyama up and continued to embrace him as they walked away, Hinata caught a glimpse of his face.

It was the ace of Aoba Johsai- Iwaizumi. A feeling he was quite use to had suddenly bubbled up inside him. Was it jealousy? Why would he be jealous? He should be glad that someone had come to help Kageyama when he couldn't... but what he felt was indeed jealousy.

☆☆☆

"So how was volleyball practice?" Kageyama's father asked as he took his son by the hand.

"It's really fun!" A 7-year-old Kageyama Tobio jumped and down excitedly. He had just come home from school from volleyball practice.

"Are you getting along with your teammates?"

"They don't like me."

"C'mon, I'm pretty sure they don't, you just gotta open up more."

"I don't think so... there's something they don't particularly like about me." His father frowned. He knew that Kageyama wasn't the most sociable person, and he didn't have many friends.

"Don't worry about it, Tobio, I'm sure they'll get you one day." Kageyama felt a single drop of water on his face, and it immediately started pouring.

"Dad it's raining!"

"Yeah, let's run home okay? I'll race you."

"Okay!" He took off with his father following him, and they laughed together enjoying themselves. Suddenly Kageyama heard the sound of a car's tires screeching loudly behind him. He turned around, to see the car driving recklessly, and it swerved from left to right quickly.

"Tobio! Move out of the way!"

"Dad!" He watched in horror as the car hit his father full on. Someone nearby screamed, and a bunch of people ran over... and they all had umbrellas. Different coloured ones. They gathered around the scene, as the driver quickly drove away. There was a lot of yelling, and chatting, but nobody seemed to be able to help him.

"Please help my dad! Please! Someone!" Someone had mentioned something about ambulance, but Kageyama couldn't focus. He stared at his father's face... it was bloody, and he wouldn't open his eyes. "Dad, wake up... wake up... please... I beg you..."

His tears were drowned by the rain... he wanted it to stop raining... just stop. He wanted everything to be over, he didn't want to be alive- not without his dad. He didn't want to play volleyball anymore, it wasn't going to be fun... his dad had to be alive...

☆☆☆

"Kageyama-kun?" Kageyama slowly opened his eyes to see Iwaizumi. He couldn't tell why he was with the ace of Seijoh. They weren't really friends... they were never really close... although they never hated each other. Or at least, Kageyama hoped that the older boy didn't dislike him, like Oikawa.

"Uh... where am I?"

"At my house." Kageyama bolted up obviously startled by that. He had been unconscious and had been lying on... a couch.

"Huh? Why am I here? Uh sorry for the intrusion-" The younger boy said embarrassed and confused. He then saw outside the window. It was still raining. He then remembered what happened, and slouched down once again. "Oh... I'm sorry that happened, whatever I did specifically-"

"You don't have to apologize. Something traumatic happened when it was raining right? About your dad..."

"Uh... yeah... he died. Got hit by a drunk driver... when we were running home from my volleyball practice. I was seven."

"I'm sorry about that. Did you have the feeling of wanting to quit volleyball?"

"Huh? Yeah. How did you know."

"The same happened with Trashykawa- I mean Oikawa. I managed to convince him not to quit though. What about you? Why did you continue to play volleyball?"

"I skipped a few practices at first... but then I missed the feeling of touching the ball and being able to set it."

"True love, eh? You and volleyball. It's as if you two get along well enough to get married."

"Iwaizumi-san, do you still have feelings for Oikawa?"

"Ah, why would you bring it up like this?"

"Uh, sorry!" Kageyama exclaimed, apologetically. Iwaizumi chuckled in response.

"It's okay. I do, obviously. It seems that I'm pretty annoyed with him most of the time huh? Don't tell him though, he doesn't know."

"Why don't you tell him? So you two can, I don't know, be together."

"Are you gonna tell Hinata you like him?"

"Er- I don't know. I'm not sure if he likes me though, and you know Oikawa likes you!"

"I just didn't think that it's meant to be. Oikawa had acted weirdly and immaturely when he had found out about his feelings."

"If you like him why dont you think it's meant to be?"

"Do you think you and Hinata were meant to be? Was it fate? Destiny?"

"H-huh?"

"I think so. You two get along so well. Despite the constant bickering eh?"

"I-I don't know-"

"When I'm with Oikawa, there's something that separates us. It's like we're close together but... so far away. I'm not sure what it is though. I just can't figure it out. However, at the moment, I'll just assume it's because we're not meant to be."

"Space that separates you two..."

"Hajime! Oh hi, you must be Kageyama. Are you okay? You fainted the moment he dragged you in."

"Er, I'm fine."

"Is he your boyfriend, Hajime?"

"C'mon mom... no."

"What happened to the good-looking fella? Oikawa Tooru was it? He was a good lad, and you liked him a lot."

"Please stop..." Iwaizumi and his mother argued for a few minutes, as Kageyama was in deep thought. A space between the two... they seemed inseparable to Kageyama. Ever since they were young, they played together, and had fun. They realized their feelings and everything crashed and burned. Why? Kageyama felt that he needed to know.

"Anyways, Kageyama feel at home, please."

"Ah, yes! I mean, no, I- uh should get going, it's pretty late."

"Stay a bit longer." Iwaizumi said, speaking up to Kageyama. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He had never had anyone ask him to stay with them. Iwaizumi's mother left the room.

"Alright."

"I wanted to continue to talk to you... about Oikawa. I don't want you to feel like I only want to talk to you because of him, because I want to hear from you too. But... at the moment he's my concern."

"I'm all ears."

☆☆☆

Hinata was woken up by his phone ringing. He picked it up and read the caller ID. It was from Sugawara.

"Hi, Sugawara-san."

"Hi, did I wake you up?"

"Uh yeah, but it's okay. I'm pretty restless from sleeping so much."

"I know it probably bothered you a lot and it's gonna hurt, but I want to have a serious talk about Nationals. We know it's coming." Hinata gulped, feelings his heart beat quicker.

"Yeah. The doctor, said they found the problem to my leg. I'm gonna get surgery in two days. They said if it goes well, I'll just need a few days of rest and stretching, and I can continue playing volleyball normally... but it doesn't go well..."

"What are the statistics?"

"This is... a rare kind of thing... they haven't done it much before... possibility of success is... 35%." Hinata felt his breathing become quicker as the fear started returning to him. The other side of the phone call went silent. "Suga-san?"

"It's going to be okay... I believe... we all know. But in any case where you... would need more time than that... I think it'd be best for you to sit out... a few games."

"Our team... what if we don't-"

"No. Please... Hinata... we need to believe."

"Okay... I believe. I know... everything will be okay."

"Did Kageyama... tell you something special, yet?"

"Hmm?"

"Nevermind. I had hoped he did. Anyways, rest well for your surgery okay?"

"Yup. Say... hi to the team for me."

"Of course. Bye!" He hung up the phone call and he thought about it. He wasn't doing well in math, but he knew 35% was... really little. Did he really believe he could do this?

A/N: Kageyama is such a poor smol child ;-; but so is Hinata

I read the manga, and THEIR NEW JERSEYS HINATA'S ALL ORANGE 😂

But basically I guess I now know what happens in season 4 and a bit of nationals and idk how to feel about it- no spoilers tho (kageyama is the new king of the court!? Im kidding I won't say anything)

anyways this chapter was a peak into Iwaoi and hinata's condition

It's a bit longer than usual but not by much

(hint: i can't really deal with writing sad endings but if i feel that it really and truly needs one, I will make it sad. However I don't think it does but idk yet)